Broken water line under repair downtown

San Diego  A 16-inch water main broke beneath the pavement west of Pacific Highway at West A Street Thursday night, leaving condominiums and at least one restaurant without water service for several hours, officials said.

The cast-iron line burst under a stretch of road leading into Holiday Inn on the Bay and sent water coursing over sidewalks between Broadway and West Ash Street about 8 p.m., city water department spokesman Arian Collins said.

He said Pacific Highway was so flooded, crews couldn’t find the submerged valve gate to shut off the flow nearest the broken pipe. So, he said, they shut off water to a wider area about 10 p.m. When the water receded, about midnight, most service to customers was restored.

The roadway was reopened and will remain open during repairs, which are expected to take until about 6 p.m., Collins said.